Little is known about the early years of the nearly immortal Rā's al Ghūl, leader of
the League of Assassins, whose name means "the demon's head." He has lived for
many centuries due to the Lazarus Pits, mystical and alchemical brews that restore
his youth. A brilliant master of strategy and organization, Rā's goal is to save the
Earth from the eventual ecological devastation by destroying most of its
population. He recognizes Batman as both a worthy foe and a possible ally - except
that Batman cannot accept Rā's dystopic worldview.